Car-guiding device



April 22 1924. 1,491,507

- w. ZERBE 7 CAR GUIDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 19, 1923 f .94 a 5/ INVENTOR lay/5 Wfi/e. E5715 BY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

STATES LEWIS w. ZERBE, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAB-GUIDING- DEVICE.

Application filed November 19, 1923.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS W. ZERBE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Guiding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for guiding cars onto track rails, particularly derailed cars.

The main object of my invention is a simple and eflicient means for guiding cars onto track rails.

My invention is sufficiently illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a car guiding device embodying the features of my invention as applied to a guiding device adapted for street cars and the like where the upper surface of the street is substantially level with the top of the track rails; Fig. 2 is an end view of the departure end of Fig. 1 showing the relation between the rails on the device and the track rails at this end; Fig. 3 is an end view of the approach end of Fig. 1 showing the relation between the rails on the device and the track rail at this end; Fig. 1 is a section, taken on a vertical plane indicated by the line 44; in Fig. 1, showing the sloping ends of the base and of the rails and the locating members in relation to the base; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a car guiding device better adapted for rail roads where the track rails usually extend above the ground; Fig. 6 is an end view of the departure end of Fig. 5 showing the relation between the rails on the device and the track rail at this end; Fig. 7 is an end view of the approach end of Fig. 5 showing the relation between the rails on the device and the track rail at this end; Fig. 8 is a section, taken on a vertical plane indicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 5, showing the sloping ends of the base and of the rails and the locating member in relation to the base.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 1 of the drawing.

The base A, made of suitable material and of sufficient strength to withstand the loads usually applied to such devices under the conditions imposed, has the main rail 10 and the guide rails 11 and 12 extending above the upper surface of the base. In the present instance, these rails are integral with the Serial No. 675,444.

extend from end to end of the base and are,

oppositely inclined in relation to the main rail 10. It is observed that both ends of the rails as well as both ends of the base slope downward and that the groove 16 is in alignment with the main rail.

Each of the locating members B comprises the bar 17 and the round projection 18 extending upward therefrom. The bar 17 extends below the bottom of the base and is adapted to engage the groove 19 in the track rail G. The projection 18 extends into and can rotate in a corresponding opening in the base and is riveted over at 20 to retain the locating member in position up and down but to permit the same to swivel on the bottom of the base as indicated in dotted lines at 21 so that this member B can adjust itself to either a straight track rail or to one curved in a right or in a left handed direction. As seen in the drawing, these projections 18 should be journaled on the longi-,

tudinal axis of the device and as near to the respective ends of the base as possible so that the groove 16 at the end 13 and the rail 10 will line up with the groove 19, within allowable limits, irrespective of the angular disposition of the bar 17, for the purpose of always guiding the flange of a car wheel into the groove. 19.

The device sofar described operates as follows: When a car is de-railed, from the rail C for instance, onto the side 22, place the device in front of the wheel and on the rail 0 and locate it there sidewise by the loeating members B; then move the car forward and up onto the sloping approach end 14 and into the comparatively wide end 23 of the groove in the device until the outside of the flange of the wheel contacts the face 24 of the rail 11; upon further movement of the wheel, it will be pushed toward the center of the device, the flange running on the upper surface of the base, until finally the wheel will leave the device with the flange passing through the groove 16 and the flat runningface of the wheel on the rail 12 and drops into its place on the rail C.

When a car. is de-ra-iled from the rail C onto the side 25 with the rail 0 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the car wheel willmove up onto the device and move forward thereon until the flat running face thereof rides upon the rail 12 whereupon the wheel will be guided on this rail 12 and to the rail C when it leaves the device.

This device can also be placed on either of a pair of track rails; the operation thereof is similar in both cases.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the drawing.

The base D, made similar to the base A, has both ends sloping downward and has the main rail 26 and the guide rails 27 and 28, all extending above the upper surface of the base D and along the entire length thereof and integral therewith as in the first in stance. The main rail 26 extends along the longitudinal axis of the device and has both ends thereof sloping downward. The guide rails 27 and 28 extend from end to end of the base, have both ends thereof sloping downward, are inclined oppositely in relation to the main rail, and are spaced therefrom to form the grooves 29 and 30.

It is observed that, in this instance, the main rail 26 is in alignment with the head of the T rail E.

In the present instance, the base D has the openings 31 and 32 extending into the base from the bottom upward and the locating members F are located therein, the openings 31 and 32 are sufficiently large to permit the respectivelocating members to swivel therein on either side of the longitudinal axis of the device so that the same can be placed either over a straight track rail or over one curved in either direction similar to the lo eating members B.

Each of the locating members F is journaled in the base D by the round projection 33 similar to the projections 18 previously described and has the bar 34 which is provided with the groove 35 to straddle the head of the T rail E, thereby holding the device sidewise thereto.

hen this device is placed on a track rail as shown and a. car wheel is pushed up onto the sloping surface 36 anywhere between the rails 26 and 27, the flange of this wheel will eventually contact the rail 27 and will be guided into the groove 29; the flat running face of this wheel will then ride on the rail 26 and will be guided onto the rail E when it leaves the device.

Vhen a car wheel is pushed up onto the sloping surface 37 anywhere between the rails 26' and 28, the flange of this wheel will eventually contact the rail 28 and will be guided into the groove 30; the flat running face of this wheel will then ride on the rail 26 and will be guided onto the rail E when it leaves the device.

In this device, the base D extends down to substantially the top of the rail road ties 38 whereas in the first described device the base A extends to the pavement 39.

It is believed that the two applications of my invention shown and described are sufficient for a full understanding thereof.

I may make other modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise construction shown and described,

I claim 2- 1. A car guiding device, including, a base provided with rail means on the top thereof, and a locating member pivoted on the bottom at each end of said base and both of said locating members adapted to swivel on said base and engage either a straight or a curved track rail to locate said device thereon. A

2. A car guiding device, including, a base, a main rail on the upper surface of said base, guide rails on the upper surface of said base, each end of said base and of said rails sloping downward to form an easy approach and an easy departure for a car wheel to and from said device, a locating member pivoted on the bottom at each of said ends, and both of said locating members adapted to engage either a straight or a curved track rail to locate said device thereon.

3. A car guiding device, including, a base, a main rail on the upper surface of said base, guide rails on the upper surface of said base on each side of said main rail and these guide rails oppositely inclined to said main rail, a locating member pivoted on the bottom at each end of said base, and both of said locating members adapted to engage eithera straight or a curved track rail to locate said device thereon.

4:. A car guiding. device, including, a base provided with guide rails on the top thereof,

a locating member on the bottom at each end of said base, both of said locating members adapted to engage either a straight or. a curved track rail and to locate saiddevice thereon, and each of said locating members provided with a projection journaled in said base at each of said ends.

5. A car guiding device, including, a base provided with guide rails on the top thereof, both ends of said base and of said rails sloping downward to form an easy approach and an easy departure for a car wheel to and from said device, a locating member on the bottom of said base at each of said ends, both of said locating members adapted to engage either a straight or a curved track rail and to locate said device thereon, and each of said locating members provided with a projection journaled in said base at each of said ends.

LEWIS W. ZERBE. 

